God intends for healthy bodies to grow, prosper and reproduce. That includes you, your family, your business, your ministry, and World Ministry Fellowship.

In the parable of the talents, God reveals his intent that we increase by our good stewardship. “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance” (Matt 25:29).

For years I only heard the negative aspects of this parable, the “use it or lose it” side of the message – which is also true. But by so doing, I missed Jesus’ revelation of his Father’s heart, and ended up more in fear than faith. I missed the point that God intended for me to increase! By implementing God’s principles of healthy sowing and reaping, God wants us to expect growth, harvest and increase. I believe this applies not only to finances, but also to the gifts, the anointing, and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

I grew up on the farm, and no farmer would expect to harvest crops in the fall that they did not plant in the springtime. Who would think of such a thing? Farmers know they must get that seed properly planted in the spring if they are to expect a harvest and its resulting increase of that seed in the fall. Good farmers rely on the laws of sowing and reaping.

We can see from this line of thought that the key to increase is in the proper use of our resources. Let’s put what we have in our hand to work - Our gifts, our revelations, and our finances. We in the church should be the first to expect a harvest from God on the good seed we have planted through the years. It is right to expect healthy increase from God on those things over which we have stewardship. Be encouraged, its harvest time in the Kingdom of God!

As we prepare for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, it is important that we be thankful for the amazing things God has done, and is doing in our midst. I am thankful that our fellowship is filled with the kindest and most generous people on the planet. Please join me in sending a huge thank you to those who supported the hurricane relief efforts this year. Your generosity resulted in many people giving thanks to God for his help in times of trouble!

In light of these things, I would like to ask you to consider remembering World Ministry Fellowship in your year-end giving. Click here to give online. WMF is entering a new era of service to the Kingdom, and your giving can help us plant new crops in the year ahead.

Wishing you much joy in the journey,

Tim McKitrick]]>October 2017President2017-10-23T09:52:43-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/feb2a3a28164805165a0086b740da6ca-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/feb2a3a28164805165a0086b740da6ca-12.html#unique-entry-id-12Last week I had the opportunity to accompany a few leaders from our church who attended the Worship and Leadership Conference at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. This was our third year to attend and we always come away feeling blessed, renewed and challenged personally, and for greater ministry.Two days later Pam and I had the honor of attending the WMF Oklahoma State Meeting in Langley with pastor Jack Nester and State Director, Jim McCool. Although we were only able to attend Friday night, I can truly say we had an amazing time with WMF family and friends. For the second time in a week, we walked away refreshed, challenged and empowered having been in the presence of God and his children who are called into ministry.My point is, it’s important to take advantage of the opportunities we have to get together with like-minded ministers, especially in our WMF family. As we share stories, Scripture, prayer, the Holy Spirit and a lot of hugs, God draws us together and makes us stronger. The Gateway conference had around 4,000 in attendance while the Oklahoma State meeting had about 35, but I have to say we were richly blessed at both. Numbers do not dictate the richness of fellowship and the freshness of rejuvenation. Our attitude and the presence of God are the deciding factors, and I must say the relationships we have in WMF are more precious and powerful as any in a larger setting!Don’t get me wrong, we are certainly on track to grow WMF in numbers, which is high priority. However, it’s only by the Spirit of God guiding us and good relationships encouraging us that true God-driven growth happens. People are drawn to a fellowship, much like a church, who have good relationships as a priority. And, like a church, people may come the first time because of great preaching, but they will return and become an actual part because of relationships.The Big God we serve is a relationship God. He places the highest of priorities on our relationship with Him, and by extension, relationships with His children. It’s that greatest commandment thing: “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…mind…and strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30, 31). When Jesus was asked for the greatest commandment, He felt compelled to quote two. Why? Because to God they are inseparable!Continue to be in prayer for WMF and each other, as well as for all those affected by recent hurricanes, earthquakes, and the tragic shooting in Las Vegas. We certainly live in a crazy world, but all the more reason to let our light shine!-Brian Sharp]]>We Are Better TogetherExecutive Director2017-10-05T14:42:45-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/9a5f73ee039a3a78e87f52f92235962a-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/9a5f73ee039a3a78e87f52f92235962a-11.html#unique-entry-id-11I would like to use this blog to ask a very special favor of you.

It is so important, especially in these challenging times, that we not “give up meeting together …but encourage one another—and all the more as we see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25 my translation).” We need each other.

After hurricanes, earthquakes, natural disasters, terrorism, and the daily bombardment of trauma in the news, we need each other more than ever.

Please make every effort to participate in the state or regional events available to you – they are listed under “Events” below. Even if you don’t feel like you need your WMF family at the moment, your WMF family needs you!

Also, thank you to the many who have given financially to support your WMF family who have suffered mightily from the hurricanes – your generosity has been astounding. Those funds have and are continuing to be distributed, and are greatly appreciated!

We comfort others with the comfort we have received. Let’s gather together whenever possible and minister to each other. Please find a state or regional event you can attend so you can enjoy what WMF does best – fellowship!

We are better together.

Sincerely,

Tim McKitrick]]>The Call To MaturityExecutive Director2017-09-07T15:52:22-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/af2e3bf1702b13f4ca359d6aa0c0dcef-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/af2e3bf1702b13f4ca359d6aa0c0dcef-10.html#unique-entry-id-10The Call to MaturityI have been reading Strengthen Yourself in the Lord by Bill Johnson and wanted to share this quote with you.An invitation is before us. We are living in days of revival in which God is bringing wonderful times of refreshing to His Church and drawing the lost to taste His salvation through mighty acts of power. But through this extravagant outpouring of grace, the Father is hoping to woo a generation of His sons and daughters to embrace the call to maturity, the call to contend in His strength for the personal breakthroughs we need to carry greater measures of His Kingdom power and love to the world around us. This is the race set before us. May we be those who learn to bring strength to ourselves, that we might run with perseverance!I believe this word could not be more appropriate for where we are in our society, our nation, and our fellowship – for the church, and you and me in particular, to embrace God’s call to maturity.We must learn to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, to become mature self-feeders, and live refreshed in the Lord enough to minister the life of Christ to those around us. I do not want to be forced to attempt another ministry effort from an empty well (lived that way for a while and didn’t like it). I am not talking about the times when, after giving of ourselves greatly, we are asked to give even more. God honors and supports that type of effort. I am talking about when we live empty because of the daily decisions we make that preclude us from taking the quality time necessary to receive a fresh word from God. God’s mercies are new every morning, and he wants to give us our daily bread. He wants us so full of his presence that when we are squeezed, all that comes out is Jesus, the fruit of a life filled with his Spirit.I have found it challenging over the years, but I know I need to regularly eat at God’s table, so when an opportunity presents itself, I will be able to give to others that which I have received from the Lord. Not that I have attained my goal, but I choose to pursue maturity in Christ. Likewise, I believe we must work toward making WMF a fellowship that creates life giving content to help people encourage themselves in the Lord and grow. I will be sharing more about this in the weeks and months ahead. This is why our theme for our NE Regional Event is Preparing Our Nets, and why I will be sharing on Communications, Media, and Building a Platform for Discipleship. Please pray about attending this event, you will receive greatly from Dr John Chasteen and Pastor Fiifi Pentsel - click here to register.I have decided to accept God’s invitation to regularly dine with him, I hope you will too!Sincerely,Tim McKitrickPS. Terri Clark’s new book Fanning the Flame: Reigniting Your Faith in God speaks to this very theme of avoiding and/or overcoming Spiritual Burnout. You can preorder here….it should be out soon!]]>Hurricane HarveyPresident2017-09-07T15:47:05-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/9fde36a358a76769f5b5f1c7ee3ff8a3-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/9fde36a358a76769f5b5f1c7ee3ff8a3-9.html#unique-entry-id-9At the time I’m writing this Hurricane Harvey has swept across Texas and is working its way across the southeastern U.S. leaving a path of destruction and massive flooding in its wake. And, by the time you read this, Hurricane Irma may have done something similar. As you have already been informed via email, Facebook, website, etc., World Ministry Fellowship has a Hurricane Assistance Fund to help those in our fellowship, as well as possibly others outside of WMF. When Hurricane Katrina hit several years ago we were able to help several at that time, similarly we reactivated this special fund to do the same now. When we refer to ourselves as “WMF family” we try to back up our words with action. It is hard to express the helpless feeling you get when faced with the nearly overwhelming task of managing clean-up, displacement, replacement, rebuild, insurance claims, etc., etc. But when you have God to cast all your care on and a good faith family to back you up, the burden is lightened and encouragement comes. That’s one of the greatest blessings of being a part of the Body of Christ. We are not alone!One more thing to consider – as the news cycle moves onto other stories that make big headlines, the long, tedious process of clean-up and restoration will continue on for many months, even years in many cases. We must remember to keep on praying and even giving monetary gifts to help those who continue in this process. Here in Missouri where I live, we have had four floods in the last eight years so we know a little about these things, but our experience pales in comparison to what has occurred in Texas and other places as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Storms in this life (even literal ones!) should cause us to simply look to our God who is able to “do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). And one way He does that is to reminds us… “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7Now, that’s the best way to calm the storm, no matter how big!-Brian Sharp]]>From the PresidentExecutive Board2017-08-14T16:26:35-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/259145cbe2e17c3155855b62240fe7a9-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/259145cbe2e17c3155855b62240fe7a9-8.html#unique-entry-id-8I have often said to my congregation: “If you are bored with your Christian life you’re not doing it right.” Walking with Jesus in the power of the Spirit is a lot of things, but it’s certainly not dull! Ministry is even more so if we are centered on actually fulfilling His vision for us and not simply going through the motions.

At Convo we reminded ourselves that when we stay mindful of and intimate with the fathomless God we serve, then we can do more, much more than we could possibly do on our own. It’s crucial we remember that our call to ministry is only possible with God’s help – His “power that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20)

If you or I could do it on our own then we wouldn’t need God. But when God beckons us to follow Him and accept the assignment He has for us then we soon find ourselves in the middle of a wonderful, exciting, sometimes overwhelming, but always fulfilling, adventure. And the best part is God is the One who actually does the most important, eternal work. We’re simply a conduit for His flow of power as we walk in loving obedience.

If there is one thing I would like to remind every member of WMF is that God wouldn’t have called you into the ministry if He didn’t think you could do it. We need to accept the fact that our call is bigger than us, but It’s not bigger than God. If the call is really from God, then so is His provision as are the results and the battles that come along with the pursuit of His assignment. Yes, skirmishes are to be expected on the way to fulfilling our God-given dream, yet even in these are demonstrations of His great power! See I Samuel 17:47, Psalm 24:8, 140:7, Proverbs 21:31, just to name a few.

I love WMF and what it stands for – helping support, encourage, inspire, heal, license, ordain and train ministers to be the best we can be. As with all things God, our past doesn’t deter us, our limitations don’t matter, failures aren’t final, and lack of natural skills don’t count. God makes up for all these through his perfect grace. All He needs from us to use us in significant ways is our whole-hearted love for Him and obedience to His Word.

Don’t ever limit yourself by using yourself as the guage for usefulness. If God can make a donkey talk He can certainly use us! 😉 -Brian Sharp]]>I Have News!Executive Director2017-08-14T14:45:24-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/495e1ee7a418e9f52ddb04a8eaef45c2-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/495e1ee7a418e9f52ddb04a8eaef45c2-7.html#unique-entry-id-7I have news!

As I continue to process the awesome time we experienced at Convocation last month, I am very excited to announce that our next important event is coming together very well. Before I share all the details, however, I would like to give you a little background as to why we are hosting this event.

State Directors and others have asked the Executive Board to consider hosting events in other regions that would be an additional option for those who are unable to get to Dallas in July, or for those who would simply like to get together more often. Our upcoming Fall and Spring Regional Events are an effort to do exactly that – provide another opportunity for spiritual and professional development. Please don’t worry though, Convo will continue as usual, and we are asking that you avail yourself of all the events you can.

This fall’s Regional Event will be held in Bel Air, MD (just N of Baltimore) October 13th and 14th, 2017. This event is designed to pack as much as possible into four power packed sessions. Two Friday evening and two Saturday morning, with lots of fellowship included.

The theme for the event is Preparing Our Nets. Pastor and Executive Board member Fiifi Pentsil, myself, and WMF newcomer Dr John Chasteen, also known as “Hey Coach John” to Charisma readers, will be speaking.

Pastor Fiifi Pentsil - Preparing New WineskinsDr Tim McKitrick - Communications, Media and Building a Platform for DiscipleshipDr John Chasteen – Coaching the Next GenerationMost of you know of Pastor Fiifi and myself, but I would like to introduce Dr John Chasteen. Brother John pastored for over 20 years, is currently a chaplain, a certified Life Coach and Life Coach trainer, professor and former Dean of the Graduate Program at Southwestern Christian University, and author of “Coaching the Next Generation: 52 Ways to Unleash God-Given Potential.”

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this event, I believe it is going to be powerful. Please consider this your personal invitation to attend. You won’t want to miss it. Click here for registration and additional information.

Hope to see you there,

Tim McKitrick]]>WMF 2017 Convocation UpdateExecutive Director2017-07-24T08:11:37-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/7a7426ae5d0e2a7e69715f8d6599289e-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/7a7426ae5d0e2a7e69715f8d6599289e-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Well, as I write this on the Monday following our 2017 WMF Convocation, I am trying to process all the amazing things that I saw happen at this event. Oh my, what a spectacular time we had in the presence of God!

For those of you who were unable to attend, I am going to apologize in advance, because I know my description of what I felt and experienced last week will fall far short of all that God brought to pass. For those who were there, I trust you will be able to bear witness that God was truly moving in our midst!

Since this was the first convocation I faced as the Executive Director, I confess I approached it with a certain amount of apprehension. But we have great people, and God helped us accomplish much for the Kingdom.

The administrative boards all came together with tangible joy and unity. New members on the Executive Board (Fiifi Pentsel and Jim McCool) and the COC (Roosevelt Henry, Kendall Hetrick, Paul Freeman and James Barber) were introduced and began to pitch in immediately, with great effect. The Advisory Board and the Mission Board also made great progress toward the amazing future God has in store for WMF. You will hear details of these things in the days ahead.

The times of worship were off the chain (Thank you Paul Freeman and worship team)!

The speakers encouraged and challenged us to become mature and qualified, to step into the River, to finish strong, and to go beyond that which is our current experience in God.

The times of ministry around the altar were precious. New Members licensed and ordained, seasoned ministers encouraged and touched by the mighty hand of our loving heavenly Father. It never gets old seeing God touch his precious saints.

Simply put, what a privilege it has been to come into the presence of God once more. Thank you, Lord!

Sincerely,

Tim McKitrick

PS. I am so excited about our next events I can hardly stand it! Please plan to join us for any/all these you can attend. Northeast Regional Event in Baltimore, MD October 13-14, 2017 St Louis, MO Regional Event April 13-14, 2018 2018 Convocation July 11-13, 2018 at the Crown Plaza in Addison, TX]]>The Importance of Pressing In - The Presence and the Power Come TogetherExecutive Director2017-06-06T17:43:05-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/1e981652ce88644cc7cfe82824ed8a36-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/1e981652ce88644cc7cfe82824ed8a36-5.html#unique-entry-id-5For the past few months I have felt led to study on the presence of God. In doing so I came across Gordon Fee’s book, God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul.

At the same time, my wife Brenda and I have experienced an unexpected blessing. We have become actively involved, through our friends Dr. Nancy Cook and Dr. James Barber, with a ministry working alongside the local John 3:16 mission to provide food, church services, ministry and discipleship to the marginalized and homeless in the area.

For the last few weeks, from Passover to Pentecost Sunday (last Sunday), the church has been teaching about the ministry of the Holy Spirit from the context of the 3 major Jewish Feasts – Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles. Part of this teaching centered on Ephesians 1:3-14, where Paul teaches the Gentiles in Ephesus that God has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” And, “having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance….”

The intent of this line of teaching is to show that it is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that we access our many blessings in Christ. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can get our spiritual needs met.

Obviously, the people in the mission are needy. Only God is able to deliver these precious folks and put their broken lives back together. Sometimes we are given the opportunity to facilitate that, sometimes we aren’t. The reason we continue to minister to them is not because they all are transformed into functional model citizens, but because some have, and someone else might….

As a result of what we were teaching in church, when studying Paul’s message to the Ephesian’s (2:18), I found something Gordon Fee wrote most inspiring (please pardon the fact it sounds a bit academic). He wrote that the Holy Spirit, “is the eschatological fulfillment of God’s promise to include both Jew and Gentile in one body. If so, then ‘In one Spirit’ replaces the temple as the place of access into the presence of God” (Pg. 683).

It is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that we have access into the presence of God, and as a result, unity with one another. “…God himself by the Spirit has chosen to be present in our world in the gathered church” (Pg. 690).

This reminded me of what Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:21-24.

Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem....Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

Jesus came to prepare a place for us to meet with God. That amazing place is “in the Spirit.” We are now the living temple of the Holy Spirit. God is Spirit, and we fellowship with him through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and are being transformed into one body, the Body of Christ.

In watching the different reactions to the teaching and ministry of the Holy Spirit these last few weeks, I have noticed that it is often the degree to which we are able to help people press into the presence of their loving heavenly Father that they are able to get their spiritual needs met. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that these folks can get free of the addictions and strongholds in their lives that have brought them to this point – the mission.

While I understand and appreciate the intent of seeker sensitive services, I have to wonder how lasting change in the lives of hurting people can come about when the ministry of the Holy Spirit is intentionally minimized. The presence of God and the power to change a life come together in the person of the Holy Spirit.

As an organization, I love the fact that World Ministry Fellowship was founded by men of God because of their experience in and dedication to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

My intent in writing all this is to encourage you to continue to press in to discover the “more” that God has in store for you in His Presence, both for you and for those who will receive from the life you find there. Your ability to help others experience the presence of God may be the key to the miracle for which they are praying.

Expectations are powerful things. They affect how we think, how we act, and how we interact with the world around us. Expectations affect every aspect of our lives, and flow naturally from what we believe about our current reality. These beliefs come from what we have come to understand about how things work, and are greatly influenced by our past experiences.

Sometimes, when presented with new information, our expectations change. The first time I ever experienced the manifest presence of God changed me forever. That experience presented me with new information, greatly adjusted my perception of God’s reality, and my expectations changed accordingly.

When talking about Biblical or spiritual issues, it is important to be open to new information – a fresh revelation of what God intends for us to receive through Christ.

Just because we have not experienced something, does not mean it is not available to us.

Listen to the heart of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIV, formatting mine).

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know:1. The hope to which he has called you,2. The riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and 3. His incomparably great power for us who believe.

What is your hope? What are you expecting from God’s incomparably great power today?

I am looking to God for a fresh revelation, newly updated information about what God would like to do in our midst – fresh bread from God’s bountiful table made just for us.

Let’s inspect our expectations. I want to make sure I am ready to hear and receive from God today. His mercies are new every morning.

With Anticipation,

Tim McKitrick]]>Our History Together is ImportantExecutive Director2017-04-07T09:20:00-05:00http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/ebf7592dc3d3a83c0c23ff97ba168c76-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.worldministry.com/blog-2/files/ebf7592dc3d3a83c0c23ff97ba168c76-3.html#unique-entry-id-3This weekend I had the opportunity to hear stories from an older pioneer of the faith. The context was just simple conversation around a large family dinner, but my heart was moved.

Spiritual things can be a challenge to describe with words, but my heart came alive as I listened to these amazing God stories. This man's story bore witness with my own. As the evening progressed, our stories wove together to form a testimony of how God brought him, and later myself and others at the table as well, into an understanding of the things of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Over time, God had orchestrated events so that this seasoned saint could experience the moving of the Holy Spirit through the ministries of Oral Roberts, Kathryn Kuhlman and John Wimber. It was through exposure to the presence of God in these ministries and others, that he received an impartation from heaven. What he caught (the impartation he received) in these meetings spread to his church as well, and the kingdom grew. That is how these things work.

I never tire of hearing how God moves, because this has become my story as well. People who received the things of God ahead of me, shared God's goodness with me and I received from what they experienced. I am the fruit of my predecessor's harvest, the product of their faithfulness to pursue and then share the things of God.

I have heard it said that sharing our testimony gives God opportunity to do for others what he has done for us.

As we share what God has done in our own lives, we create community and relationship with those of like precious faith, both with those who have gone ahead, and those who will eventually follow - perhaps because of our testimony.

This fellowship around the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the faithfulness of God is what created World Ministry Fellowship in the first place. It is still the most important thing that we do.